A sudden uptick in petroleum production pushed up the output of the eight core sectors to an 11-month high of 5.5 per cent in February, after January’s output was revised to a reduced 1.4 per cent.
Core sector output had contracted for four months till November, with a broad-based decline gripping most sectors. As a result, core sector output in the April-February period dropped to 1 per cent, compared to 4 per cent in the corresponding period last year.
Output rose for the third straight month in February, mainly on the back of growth in refinery products, as well as higher coal production and electricity generation due to the onset of summer. However, experts pointed out that this would reverse in the coming months.
